The Care Quality Commission
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  • GP practice

Leasowe Medical Practice

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

Hudson Road, Leasowe, Wirral, Merseyside, CH46 2QQ (0151) 625 5700

Provided and run by:
Dr Navaid Alam

All Inspections

6 December 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out an announced focused inspection at Leasowe Medical Practice on 5 and 6 December 2022. Overall, the practice is rated as requires improvement.

Safe – Requires improvement

Effective - Requires improvement

Caring - Not inspected, rating of good carried forward from previous inspection

Responsive - Good

Well-led - Good

The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Leasowe Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection

We carried out this inspection in line with our inspection priorities. We undertook this inspection due to emerging risk from concerns raised to CQC.

We inspected the key questions of:

Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well Led.

How we carried out the inspection

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site.

This included

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing.
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system (this was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements).
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider.
  • Requesting evidence from the provider.
  • A short site visit.

Our findings

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

  • what we found when we inspected
  • information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
  • information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We found that:

  • The provider did not have effective systems in place for the monitoring of high-risk medicines or for acting appropriately on safety alerts in a timely manner.
  • Patients with long term conditions did not always receive effective management of their care and treatment.
  • Cervical cancer screening was below the 70% target and had been for a number of years.
  • Steps had been taken to ensure there were sufficient staff who were suitably qualified and trained.
  • Patients were treated with respect and were involved in decisions about their care.
  • The practice understood its patient population and adjusted how it delivered services to meet the needs of its patients.
  • Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
  • There was a lack of visible leadership at practice level however, senior executive team leaders were supportive, accessible and sighted of the risks. Plans had been implemented to improve.
  • Governance systems and processes did not always allow effective communication and feedback involving all staff to take place.

We found a breach of regulations. The provider must:

  • Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe and effective way to patients.

In addition, the provider should:

  • Improve prescribing practice for certain medicines including antibiotics, pregabalin/gabapentin, hypnotics and psychotropics.
  • Improve the uptake of eligible people for cervical cancer screening.
  • Take action to highlight/alert all vulnerable people including family members where relevant.
  • Improve communication and staff meetings where reviews of quality and safety of services and service developments are discussed and action implemented.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA

Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services

23 May 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Leasowe Medical Practice on 23 May 2017. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • There were systems in place to mitigate safety risks including analysing significant events and safeguarding.
  • Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with current legislation.
  • Patients said they were treated with care, compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and feedback.
  • Appointments were accessible, with extended hours opening on Wednesday evening and Saturday morning.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • The practice had arrangements to respond to emergencies and major incidents.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.
  • The practice sought patient views about improvements that could be made to the service; including having an active patient participation group (PPG) and acted, where possible, on feedback.
  • Staff worked well together as a team, knew their patients well and all felt supported to carry out their roles.
  • The provider was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour.

There was an area where the provider should make improvements and this was:

  • Review the infection prevention and control audit to ensure all areas of the practice are included. Review the flooring in the clinical areas to ensure it is suitable for minimising the risk of infection.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice